Luggage bottom frame

ABSTRACT

Provided is a bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage. The bottom frame includes four corner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton, an outer wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, a link unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, and a luggage body layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outer wheel skeleton. The invention can simplify components of the bottom frame and carrying out highly adaptable molds so as to be cost effective and increase production efficiency.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to luggage structure and more particularlyto a modular, highly adaptable frame mounted on bottom of luggage suchthat advantages including manufacturing flexibility and costeffectiveness can be obtained.

2. Description of Related Art

Luggage is a case for storing personal belongings while traveling.Conventionally, bottom frame is adapted to support the whole weight ofluggage and is connected to wheels. Typically, bottom frame is moldedand mold for bottom frame is very expensive. Also, bottom frames ofdifferent luggage cases are molded by different molds due to differentsizes of bottom frames. As a result, the manufacturing cost isincreased. In other words, different molds are required for differentluggage bottom frames. Such structure of bottom frame inevitably notonly increases the cost of preparing molds but also causes problemsassociated with mold management, manufacturing time delay, etc. Hence, aneed has arisen for an improved luggage bottom frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a luggagebottom frame having simplified components and highly adaptable molds soas to be cost effective.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularluggage bottom frame for ease of assembly. Also, the assembly is fastwhen different luggage bottom frame sizes are required, therebyincreasing production efficiency by causing no manufacturing time delay.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides abottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frameincluding four corner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton; anouter wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; alink unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; and a luggagebody layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outerwheel skeleton. By utilizing the present invention, advantages includingcost reduction, cost effectiveness, and production efficiency increaseare obtained.

In one aspect of the present invention the inner wheel skeleton includesa board including a first connection section extended toward a firstdirection, and a second connection section extended toward a seconddirection perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the first andthe second connection sections is adapted to connect to a link.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one of four corner units of a preferredembodiment of luggage bottom frame according to the invention;

FIG. 2 a sectional view of the assembled bottom frame according to theinvention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the complete bottom frame according tothe invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom frame shown in FIG. 3 mountedunder a luggage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a luggage 1 incorporating a bottomframe 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention isshown. The bottom frame 100 comprises four corner units 101 eachincluding an inner wheel skeleton 10, an outer wheel skeleton 20, a linkunit 30, a wheel unit 40, and a luggage body layer 50. The inner wheelskeleton 10 comprises a board 11, a flange 12 formed around an outerwall of the board 11, a first connection section 13 extended from theboard 11 toward a first direction the first connection section 13 havinga bore 131, a second connection section 14 extended from the board 11toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, thesecond connection section 14 having a bore 141, and a plurality of holes15. The outer wheel skeleton 20 comprises a board 21, a plurality ofthreaded holes 22 aligned with the holes 15 of the inner wheel skeleton10, a central recess 23 on the board 21, a through hole 24 on the recess23, and a bottom cavity 25 in communication with the recess 23 throughthe through hole 24. The link unit 30 comprises first and second links31 and 32. Each of the first and second links 31 and 32 is implementedas a tube (as shown in FIG. 1) or bar. The wheel unit 40 comprises awheel mount 41 having a vertical hole 411, a wheel 42, a pivot 43 fittedin the vertical hole 411 and extended through the through hole 24 intothe recess 23, a ring 44 (or C clamp in another embodiment) lockinglyput on an upper portion of the pivot 43 so as to secure the wheel unit40 to the cavity 25 on the bottom of the outer wheel skeleton 20, abearing 45 fitted between the wheel mount 41 and the outer wheelskeleton 20 for facilitating the swiveling of the wheel unit 40, and awheel core 46 fitted onto the wheel 42 rotatably mounted at bottom ofthe wheel mount 41. The luggage body layer 50 is implemented as aflexible layer formed of fabric or plastics.

Assembly of the luggage bottom frame will be described in detailedbelow. Insert first and second links 31 and 32 of predetermined lengthinto the bore 131 and 141 of the first and second connection sections 13and 14 respectively prior to fastening. Thus, the link unit 30 isfastened at two adjacent sides of the inner wheel skeleton 10. Thefastening of the first and second links 31 and 32 at the first andsecond connection sections 13 and 14 can be implemented by snappinglycoupling, riveting, threading, or any of other known techniques.Alternatively, projections are provided in the first and second links 31and 32 and conformed cavities are provided in the first and secondconnection sections 13 and 14 such that the first and second links 31and 32 and the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 can befastened together by matingly engaging the projections and the cavities.Note that the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 of theinner wheel skeleton 10 are required to facilitate connecting to thefirst and second links 31 and 32 respectively. Thus, there is norestriction to the shapes of the first and second connection sections 13and 14. Hence, in another embodiment the link unit 30 and the innerwheel skeleton 10 can be integrally formed.

The luggage body layer 50 is sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton10 and the outer wheel skeleton 20. A plurality of screws 16 are driventhrough the holes 15 of the inner wheel skeleton 10 and the threadedholes 22 of the outer wheel skeleton 20 to fasten the inner wheelskeleton 10, the luggage body layer 50, and the outer wheel skeleton 20together for forming the bottom frame 100 mounted under the luggage 1(see FIGS. 3 and 4).

Only molds of the inner wheel skeleton 10 and the outer wheel skeleton20 are required to prepare for forming the luggage bottom frame ascontemplated by the invention. Both the wheel unit 40 and the link unit30 are well known devices. Thus, suitably cutting finished links intorequired link units 30 can form the bottom frame 100 by mass productionwhen molds of different sizes are prepared. As a result, advantages suchas cost reduction, assembly speed increase, cost effectiveness, andproduction efficiency increase are obtained.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means ofspecific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could bemade thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

1. A bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frameincluding four corner units each comprising: an inner wheel skeleton; anouter wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; alink unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; and a luggagebody layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outerwheel skeleton.
 2. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein the inner wheelskeleton is threadedly secured to the outer wheel skeleton.
 3. Thebottom frame of claim 1, wherein the inner wheel skeleton comprises afirst connection section extended toward a first direction, and a secondconnection section extended toward a second direction perpendicular tothe first direction.
 4. The bottom frame of claim 3, wherein each of thefirst and the second connection sections includes a bore.
 5. The bottomframe of claim 1, wherein the link unit comprises a first link and asecond link each being formed as a tube or bar.
 6. The bottom frame ofclaim 1, further comprising a wheel unit rotatably secured to a bottomof the outer wheel skeleton.
 7. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein theluggage body layer is formed of fabric or plastics.
 8. A bottom framemounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frame comprising fourcorner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton and an outer wheelskeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, wherein theinner wheel skeleton comprises a board having a first connection sectionextended toward a first direction, and a second connection sectionextended toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.9. The bottom frame of claim 8, wherein each of the first and the secondconnection sections includes a bore.
 10. The bottom frame of claim 8,wherein the board of the inner wheel skeleton further comprises a flangeformed around its outer wall and one or more holes through the board.11. The bottom frame of claim 10, wherein the outer wheel comprises aboard, a plurality of threaded holes aligned with the holes of the innerwheel skeleton, a central recess on the board, a through hole on therecess and a bottom cavity.
 12. The bottom frame of claim 2, wherein theouter wheel comprises a board, a plurality of threaded holes alignedwith the holes of the inner wheel skeleton, a central recess on theboard, a through hole on the recess and a bottom cavity.
 13. The bottomframe of claim 6, wherein the outer wheel comprises a board, a pluralityof threaded holes aligned with the holes of the inner wheel skeleton, acentral recess on the board, a through hole on the recess and a bottomcavity.